Easy Refried Beans

Making easy refried beans is the perfect way to enjoy a delicious yet easy brunch with your family. This easy recipe only requires a few common pantry items and takes less than ten minutes of your time – making it well worth your while! Refried beans are great for quick meals throughout the week, or can be spiced up for any special occasion.

Perfect for everything from tacos to burritos, you're sure to love these easy refried beans and share the recipe with your loved ones.

The best thing about Easy Refried Beans ...

The best thing about Easy Refried Beans has to be the fact that anyone can make them. Whether you are the world's top chef or an absolute beginner in the kitchen, the ingredients and instructions are ridiculously forgiving. Not to mention the fact that they make the perfect side dish for any meal! Eating healthy never tasted so good thanks to Easy Refried Beans - they add the perfect touch of flavor, comfort, and convenience to your favorite meals.

This was inspired by my other recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing sidedish recipe.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

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• The best thing about Easy Refried Beans ...
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Storage
• Top tip
• Easy Refried Beans

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
• ½ medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 16-oz. cans of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-oz. can of red kidney beans, with liquid
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 t. chili powder
• ½ t. smoked paprika

• Optional:
• ½ t. crushed red pepper flakes
• Fresh cilantro, to serve
  
  Note: Traditionally, refried beans are made from pinto beans. This version also incorporates red kidney beans for an interesting alternative.

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add beans, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally until the beans are heated through and start to break apart slightly approximately 8-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree beans with an immersion blender or a potato masher until almost smooth. Serve topped with fresh cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!

Variations

Let's turn up the heat with some variations you can add to an easy refried beans recipe. If your family loves a Tex-Mex style brunch, then these variations are sure to keep them coming back for more. Try adding diced jalapeño peppers for extra spice, or you could try replacing the black beans with pinto beans for a flavorful twist. And for those early mornings that call for something special, throw in some cheddar cheese and cook it together for a delicious upgrade. Either way, you can rest assured that your family will appreciate the variations in this easy refried beans recipe.

Storage

After cooking a delicious batch of Easy Refried Beans, it’s a great idea to save some for later! However, you don’t want to keep them in the fridge for too long; storage time will depend on how they were stored before refrigeration. If they were stored cool, they can usually last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Otherwise, be sure to consume them within 1-2 days of storage. Whenever in doubt, follow your food storage intuition; if the beans appear slimy or smell off then it’s likely that it’s time for them to be tossed.

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